CV format in Germany (2026)

The German Lebenslauf at a glance

• PhotoCustomary (professional Bewerbungsfoto), though legally optional
• Length1–2 pages, strictly tabular
• Personal dataDate/place of birth and nationality still common
• LanguageGerman unless the posting is in English
• DatesMM/YYYY, gapless timeline expected

The photo and personal data question

Since the General Equal Treatment Act (AGG, 2006), employers may not require a photo, and public-sector and large corporate employers increasingly run photo-free processes. In practice, however, a majority of German applications still include a professional Bewerbungsfoto — a head-and-shoulders shot taken by a photographer, not a selfie — placed top right of the first page or on a cover sheet (Deckblatt). If you include one, invest in it; a poor photo does more damage than none.

The personal-data block (persönliche Daten) traditionally lists date and place of birth, nationality, and marital status. Marital status and religion have largely disappeared, but date of birth and nationality remain common and many hiring managers still expect them. Address and contact details are standard. If you're applying from abroad, note your work-authorisation status here — it's the first thing German HR checks.

Structure: tabular, reverse-chronological, gapless

German CVs are tabular: two columns, with dates (MM/YYYY) on the left and positions on the right, in reverse chronological order. Sections follow a fixed sequence — personal data, professional experience (Berufserfahrung), education (Ausbildung/Studium), further training, skills and languages, and optionally interests. Achievements-with-metrics bullets are increasingly welcome inside this frame, but the frame itself is non-negotiable at traditional employers.

The lückenloser Lebenslauf — gapless CV — is a real expectation: German recruiters want every month accounted for since leaving school. A gap of more than two or three months should be labelled honestly (further training, job search, family care, travel). Leaving it blank invites the assumption you're hiding something, and the question will come in the interview anyway.

The full application package

Germany hires on a Bewerbungsmappe — an application folder, today a single PDF — containing the cover letter (Anschreiben, still important and expected to be job-specific), the CV, and attachments: university diplomas, training certificates, and crucially Arbeitszeugnisse, the formal employer references every German employee receives by law when leaving a job. Foreign applicants can substitute reference letters, but should explain the substitution briefly.

Two small conventions with outsized signalling value: German CVs are traditionally dated and signed (a scanned signature is fine in a PDF), and file naming matters — 'Lebenslauf_Nachname_Vorname.pdf' reads as organised. German is the default language; apply in English only when the posting itself is in English or the company states an English-speaking process.

Applying from abroad

If you're an international candidate, address the practical questions before the recruiter has to ask: work authorisation (EU citizenship, Blue Card eligibility), German level in CEFR terms (B2 is a common threshold for German-speaking roles), and your willingness to relocate with a timeline. Germany's skilled-worker shortage means real openness to foreign candidates — but applications that ignore German conventions entirely are quietly filtered out at traditional companies, while startups in Berlin or Munich tech scenes are far more relaxed and often work in English.